Biggest risers from the 2022 college all-star events:

Missouri State interior defensive lineman Eric Johnson

IDL Eric Johnson, Missouri State

Let’s go back to the good old FCS now, which seems to be the major theme of this list, with somebody who’s had a pretty eventful pre-draft process already. Johnson played in a school-record 55 consecutive games as a five-year starter and was recognized as an All-MVFC second-team selection the past two seasons. He finished his career with 131 total stops, including, 19.5 of those for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Johnson’s journey started at the NFLPA Bowl, where he seemed to kind of shock offensive linemen with his quickness off the snap throughout practice sessions, suddenly dipping the shoulder and getting around guys in one-on-ones on several occasions. People down in Mobile took notice, and he was invited to the Senior Bowl, where I thought Johnson’s physicality really stood out for the time he was there, moving big men backwards in the run game and creating push up the pocket, while maintaining those initial quicks to establish those half-man relationships and maximize his force.

To finish his showing in the NFLPA Bowl on a high note, he got a sack on third-and-long in the second quarter of the actual game, where he was the set-up man on a T-E twist, but still was able to put the left tackle on his ass, before swallowing the quarterback. Then, he flew straight over to Mobile and immediately got a sack in team drills day one. On the second day, he hit a great outside spin move against Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard. You just wouldn’t expect a 300-pounder to be able to execute in that fashion. Along with that, he was able to own his space at the point of attack in run defense throughout six total practices and a couple of games.

At 6’4”, with an 82 ½-inch wingspan and ten-plus inch hands, Johnson has that 4i/5-technique body type and looked like he belonged there with those FBS standouts. The one invite he didn’t receive was to the combine – which is absolutely crazy – and I would have liked to see him move around, but with the way he has gone from Missouri State – which actually didn’t lose a game by more than one possession in all of 2021, including a TD-affair against Oklahoma State in the season-opener – to NFLPA Bowl and then Senior Bowl, while stepping up every level along the way, I feel very good about his capability of being a quality contributor in the NFL.